Things are happening! / Things have happened!

Today was strange in the best sorts of ways.  Jeremy and I work up early, and when he left for home I began my day with no plans other than another job hunt.  Luckily, for me, a job found me instead.  After drinking copious amounts of tea, and watching too much reality TV, I decided to pickle the red onion that was sitting on the counter.  By the time I was done I had dirtied far more dishes than necessary, and painfully cried at least 5 times, but at least I had successfully made apple-cider vinegar-pickled onions.  Around noon, in the middle of another cup of tea, I got a call from  BigNameMagazine to chat quickly about my interest in interning for them, and then asked if I was available to come into the office at 3:30 to meet the production team.  Of course I agreed, and of course I got there super early--early enough to see another interviewee for the position...

While I was trying not to get too nervous for the interview itself, I started psyching myself out that the girl who interviewed ahead of me is WAY more qualified than I am.  (It also didn't help that she had perfect shiny long hair, flawless makeup, a structured business-type dress, and four-inch black pumps on.)  Thinking over my own appearance, I obviously didn't look as qualified as she did; boring bun, only used some powder and mascara, a houndstooth belted sweater with a gray a-line skirt, and flats...But the interview had to happen, and I was already wearing this outfit that I felt wonderful in ten minutes earlier.

When it was my turn to go, I pulled myself together. I told myself: "Even if she appears more qualified than me, she probably isn't."  When I got to the correct floor, I was lost between two separate sets of glass doors--no receptionist in sight.  I walk through one and walk back out. The opposite one is locked--back I go to the first.  I go in further, past a glass conference room, and luckily it's where I was supposed to be all along.

The interview was short and sweet.  Lots of smiles all around, and not only from me, and going from one topic to the next was a piece of cake (the position to my interests, my living situation to my experience, Vassar to my interests in magazines).  And what was truly great was I could tell that they really liked me.  On my way out they told me that I would know by the end of the day (as the position begins on Monday), and for some reason I wind up nervous again.  The uncertainty of finding an opening, and the even greater uncertainty of interviews, was back again as the uncertainty of finally getting the position.

Luckily I only had to wait an hour before I got my answer: YES! I now work intern at BigNameMagazine.  (Plus it's PAID!)  It's hard to explain how happy I am about it, and how fast things have changed since yesterday.  Even though it's not a salaried position, and it's nowhere near permanent, I really think that this could be the experience I need to land a career.

Well, at least a career for now.